Downtown Poplar Bluff continues expanding. PB Realty is expanding too with the opening in January of its new Vine Street location.
“Obviously, as our company grows, we run out of room, so we have to expand to other areas that are growing,” said broker Todd Henson. “There’s a big turnaround down in this area, a lot of people getting involved, so we want to be at the heart of that.
“The downtown’s typically the heart of any town. So for the last couple of years, we’ve not had a great heartbeat, but now it’s coming back,” he continued.
PB Realty chose 400 Vine St. from among its area properties for three reasons: the building’s manageable size, relatively good condition and successful neighbors. The new office sits on a corner near Haffy’s Sports Bar and Grill, Foxtrot Coffee, and a soon-to-be Mexican restaurant.
“I think it’s 100% about the location, I guess all real estate agents will tell you that,” joked Chance Whitehead, a PB Realty associate.
Whitehead believes diversifying downtown businesses will grow downtown’s ecosystem. Currently, many of the occupied storefronts contain retail or restaurants.
“Whether it’s realty or insurance or things like that, those are established businesses I think can bring their clientele downtown,” he explained.
Whitehead grew up in Poplar Bluff. Over the years he has seen a paradigm shift from abandoning downtown to reinventing it. He finds the charge is frequently led by a younger generation interested in reuse and renewal.
“I think a lot of the momentum of revitalization is definitely spurred on by younger people, young adults that have an interest in it,” he noted.
Henson is one of those people. He anticipates seeing more investment from individuals and local businesses.
“That’ll be growth, one building at a time, one company time, one investor at a time. You’re gonna have to have people that are interested in investing their money down here that aren’t necessarily looking for an immediate return on investment because as downtown is old, it’s going to take years to see it come all the way back,” he said.
PB Realty’s other Poplar Bluff locations are at 1800 N. Westwood Blvd. and 2875 Tucker Road, Suite 5. More information can be found by visiting poplarbluffrealtyinc.com.